Embroidery cutting machine with means for varying the tension on the web



Nov. 8, 1960 A. TSCHERNE 2,959,079

EMBROIDERY CUTTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR VARYING THE TENSION ON THE WEB 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1957 Nov. 8, 1960 Filed Aug. 20, 1957 A. TSCHERNE EMBROIDERY CUTTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR VARYING THE TENSION ON THE WEB 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. //o l 's 7;/ we

Nov. 8, 1960 A. 'r'scHERNE 2,959,079

EMBROIDERY CUTTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR VARYING THE TENSION oN THE wEB Filed Aug. 20, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY w* Nov. 8, 1960 Filed Aug. 20, 1957 A. TSCHERNE EMBROIDERY CUTTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR VARYING THE TENSION ON THE WEB 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ///o "J syer L Nov. 8, 1960 A. TscHERNE 2,959,079

EMBROIDERY CUTTING MACHINE WITH MEANS TOR VARYING THE TENSION oN THE WEB Filed Aug. 20, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. /5

IN V EN T( R. /f/o ,-1 T/nw BY Unite EMBROIDERY CUTTING MACHINE WITH MEANS FOR VARYING THE TENSION ON THE WEB The present invention relates to an embroidery cutting machine designed to cut out scallops and to sever them from the surrounding edge. For `the purposey of this specication, scallops are the embroidery ornaments in various needlework techniques of curved shape or formed asa series of circle segments.

The invention is characterized by two angularly disposed material conveying devices having at least one feed roller each, each material conveying device being operative on a portion of the embroidered material severed by the circular cutter and at least one of the feed rollers being provided with a device for the alteration of its turning momentY to be transmitted.

Embodiments of the embroidery cutting machine according to this invention are shown, by way of example, in the attached drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine, showing certain details in section.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the operation of the machine;

Figs. 5 through 8 show details ofr thel machine;

Fig. 9 shows a variant of the machine in which two superposed feed rollers are driven;

Fig. 10 is a side View of the feed rollers;

Fig. 11 is an end View of the feed rollers;

Fig. 12 shows a circular cutter of toothed design;

Fig. 13 is a front view of the circular cutter according to Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 shows the operation of the toothed circular cutter together with the embroidery material to be cut;

Fig. 15 is a variant of Fig. 4 with another tooth design, and

Fig. 16 is a section of the circular cutter along line III-III in Fig. 14.

The guide members 1 and 1 cooperating with the scallops, the ends of which facing one another being provided with a circular sector-type extension 62, 63, form a gap 60 (Fig. 1) for the free passage ofthe unembroidered material (Figs. 4 and 5). This gap 60 is adjusted by means of the adjusting screwv61 in accordance with the thickness of the embroidered material by displacing the upper guide member 1 which is in turn guided in a groove at the top portion of the forked support 2. The lower guide member 1' is secured to support 2. The upper and lower portions of the support 2'are integral with the offset lateral ange 2. The bracket 2 is equipped with a support 7 displaceably arrangedon the base-plate 24. This support 7 can be adjusted by means of-adjusting screw 8 (Figs. l and 3) in the axial direction of the said screw. Arranged on the base-plate 24 is a bearing support 5 with a slide 6 which an `adjustingscrew. 9 enables to be displaced in a direction normal to that of the sup.- por-t 7. This adjusting screw 9 is held stationary by fork 10. The bearing support accommodates a shaft of which one end carries the driving pulley 22 (Figs. 2

States .Patent C) ice and 3) while the other end is equipped to hold the circular cutter 3. The circular cutter 3 rotates behind the thin. protective tongues 64 of the sector-type extensions 62 and 63 of the guide members 1 and 1 so that the cutting edge of the circular cutter cannot touch the scallop edges F (Figs. 4, 5 and 6) and remains spaced therefrom so that they will not be damaged by cutting. Provided for the feed of the embroidered material and of the scallop to the circular cutter so protected are the two feed rollers 11 and 12 of which the axes of rotation enclose an obtuse angle. The two severed portions of the embroidered material, i.e. the scallop portion F and the unembroidered portion L cut away are continuously removed from the circular cutter. One feed roller 11 is arranged in the housing support 13 and the other roller 12 in the bearing support 35 and 19', both said supports being secured to the machine frame. The feed roller 12 is driven by a motor via a train of bevel gears 20/21. The feed roller 11 which rotates at a higher speed than roller 12 alsoserves as a feeler roller and is driven by a pulley 23 via a gear wheel 14 (Fig. 3). A clutch disc 15 is rigidly secured to its shaft 16Y which has slidably arranged thereon a further clutch disc 15', which is secured against rotation by means of keys. Between these two clutch discs 15 land 15 is a feed roller 11 which can freely turn about shaft 16 unless axial pressure is exerted on the two clutch discs. The feedV roller 11 is forced against the clutch disc 15 by means of the pressure ange 18,'(Fig. 3) provided-on shaft 16 so that the said feed roller is driven in accordance with the pressure exerted `and more or less tension exercised on the portion of materialL (Fig. 4).

Pressure on the two feed rollers 11 and 12 is exerted, by meansy of leaf springs 29, by the rubber rollers 11 and 12 which can be raised by brackets 32. The whole assembly is secured to the support 26 attached to the base-plate 25 (Fig. 1). Raising and lowering of the rubber rollers 11 and 12 is effected' by means of ratchet lever 28 which may engage segment 2'7 eitherat A or A'.

Horizontallly arranged at a hinge bracket 39 rigidly secured tothe bearing support 22 (Fig. 1) is a cranked lever 40v slightly exceeding in height that of feed roller 12' and that of theguide gap 60. Since the embroidered material, inthe course ofoperation, touches the feeler lever 40 at its cut-otfscallop edge, the said lever is forced downwards by the embroidered material owing to the tension exerted by the feeding roller 12 (Fig. 5). Adjacent its centre of rotation 41, the feeler lever 40 is pivotally connected with a connecting rod 46 at 44, and with an angle lever 47y (Fig. 2). Connected with the shorter arm of the angle lever 47y is a pull rod 42 which is in turn connected with yav double lever 37 secured to the round hinge rod 38. The other end of the double lever 37 carries a tension spring 43 which can be more or less biased by means of the adjusting screw 50 and the screw bolt 49. This spring 43 resiliently holds the feeler lever 40 together with the members above described and at the same time the displaceable clutch disc 15 is forced lagainst the front end of the feed roller 11 via dog 36 secured to theY hinge rod 38. The forked pressure flange 18 is designed to transmit pressure for do-g 36. The hinge rod 38 has one end heldin the base-plate 24 and the other endin the roller bracket 35. As the feed roller 11 is clamped between the two clutch discs 15 and 15' the transferable turning moment in this slipping clutch can be adapted to the lneness of the embroidered material by means of the adjusting screw 50.. The pulling power of the roller should be lesser for tine material, and greater for coarse materials.

The embroidery cutting machine disclosed operates as follows: The machine is driven by an electric motor via the pulley 22, which rotates the circular cutter 3. The

unembroidered portion of the material is cut to the rst scallop prior to the cutting process so that two spreadable portions L, F of material.- are obtained. This material is then inserted in the gap 60 between the guide members 1 and 1 and the spread portions each pulledtowards the feed rollers 11 and 12. One .portion of the em-A broidered material with the scallop F' (Fig. 4) is passed between feed roller 12 and pressure roller 12 and the unembroidered portion L between feed roller 11 and pressure roller 11. A clutch is actuated by means of a pedal and causes the two rollers 11 and 12 to rotate so that the two portions of material are pulled forward owing to the rubber rollers 11' and 12' engaging the said rollers. The scallops F of the embroidered material are thereby continuously pulled towards the circular cutter 3 and the stops 62 and 63 respectively. As soon as the cutter has cut the greatest depth of a scallop and the arc of the scallop edge engages stops 62 and 63 (Fig. 5), the embroidered material is stretched owing to the greater tension so that the feeler lever 40 moves downward, which causes the clutch disc 1S (Figs. 3 and 4) at the feed roller 11 to be loosened by means of the linkage which connects it with the said feeler lever. The oscillating movement of lever 40 which has been indicated in Fig. 5 by an arrow is effected about an axis of rotation 41 (Fig. 4) and is conveyed to an arm 42 which in its turn cooperates with a two-arm lever tiltable about bolt 38 or 3S. In this way, the coupling lever 36 will be pressed more or less strongly against the pressure flange 18 whereby the friction between the end faces of the clutch discs and 15 (Figs. 3 and 4) and the end faces of the feeder roller 11 will be increased or reduced so that the conveyed torque will be variable. This action causes the embroidered material to be pulled along by the feed roller 12 without noticeable resistance during the upward cutting of the scallop which then begins. As soon as the top point is reached in cutting, the tension of the embroidered material between the stops 62 and 63 is released. At this moment, the feeler lever rises again and causes the clutch disc 15 to be forced more tightly against the feed roller 11 so that it can transmit a larger turning moment, which causes the tension exerted on portion L to be increased. When cutting into the depth of the scallop, the embroidered material is pulled along the edge of the scallop by the feed roller 11. This cooperation between the feeler mechanism described and the feed roller 11 is repeated at each of the following scallops. In Fig. 4 the operation of the machine is shown diagrammatically in order to facilitate understanding. The pivot 41 of the feeler lever 40 is shown swivelled by 90 in the direction of the arrow. In reality, the feeler lever 40 therefore moves in a plane normal to the drawing plane, as seen in Fig. 3.

The shearing plate 51 (Fig. 6) resiliently engaging the inner side of the circular cutter 3 forms a counterpart for the cutter and ensures that the fluffy ends produced in cutting the scallop are cut away neatly as if by scissors. In order to prevent this shearing plate 51 from wearing rapidly it is advantageously provided with a hard-metal lining 53 at its lower end facing the circular cutter.

Adjustably arranged between the point of severing of the material and the feed roller 11 is a guide member 52 over which the unembroidered portion of the material is passed and deflected. This stationary guide member can naturally be replaced by a rotary member.

In order to prevent the loosely overlying portions of double fabrics with embroideries from being moved irregularly, it is advantageous jointly to drive the feed rollers 11 and 11 arranged above each other. So far great difficulties have been experienced when cutting scallops in double fabrics since the two overlying portions continually shifted so that one portion entered between the feed rollers unstretched thereby causing wave-like folds and ensuing breakdowns because the folds deected the scallops and created uneven cuts. This is avoided by connecting the two feed rollers 11 and 11 by gears as shown in Figs. 9 through 11.

The loosely overlying material portions L are thereby conveyed evenly and at the same rate of speed since gears 55, 56 are provided at one end of the feed rollers 11 and 11. These gears are of the same size and mesh. The upper gear 56 is driven by its associated gear 55 and secured to the end face of the feed roller 11. The upper roller is resiliently supported so that it can be forced, by means of a spring, against the material portion of varying thickness which is passed beneath it. The adjustment of the turning moment of the feed roller 11 transmitted is effected by the slipping clutch already described.

In order to' speed operation and to enable comparatively thick fabrics to be cut, such as embroidered bedlinen, the circular cutter 3 is provided with a toothed cutting edge. The serrations 73a, 73b may be of arcuate configuration, i.e. possess sickle-type ground portions (Figs. 12, 14 and 16), or'triangular (Fig. l5). They may be spaced or follow one another directly. The edges of these serrations are sharp and the cutting angle a (Fig. 16) is acute.

Engaging one of the faces of the circular cutter is the shearing plate 51, which exerts a slight pressure on the outermost portion of the circular cutter 3.

The embroidered material F passes to the serrations 73a, 73b of the circular cutter and is cut as though by scissors by its sharp edges in cooperation with the shearing plate 51. Without the said shearing plate 51, the serrations of the circular cutter would act as a circular saw and would not cut the embroidered scallop neatly. The scissor-type action of the cutting unit enables such embroidery cutting machines to obtain a substantially higher output so that even thick materials may be cut with great rapidity and without diiculty.

The serrations along the circumference of such a circular cutter are produced by a grinding wheel 70 having a proiile corresponding to the desired shape of the serra-v tions, which grinds one or several serrations simultaneously, after which the circular cutter is rotated by the amount of a single or multiple pitch angle. The grinding wheel is so arranged that its axis of rotation 71 crosses that of the circular cutter, from which it is spaced, so that the serrations are produced with an acute cutting angle oc.

Other types of serrations would be possible, such as saw-tooth or oval serrations.

Having now particularly described and `ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. An embroidery cutting machine for fabric material along the edge of a thickened portion thereof caused by embroidering or the like comprising in combination; power driven cutting means and power driven feeding means, said feeding means comprising two pairs of angularly disposed roller means located rearward of said cutting means and respectively engaging each of the cut portions of said fabric material, said roller means being laterally spaced so as to draw the said cut portions away from each other, adjustable driving means for varying the transfer of power to one of said roller means, a tension sensing element bearing on said fabric material at a point between said cutting means and the yother of said roller means, and means responsive to movement of said tension sensing element in response to changes in tension on the fabric material for varying the transfer of power to said `one of said roller means, and throat means at the approach side of the cutting means of a size to admit the fabric material but not the thickened portion thereof.

2. An embroidery cutting machine for cutting scallops according to claim 1 wherein the said cutting means is circular and said throat comprises two guiding members adjacent the circular cutting means at the point Where the fabric material is admitted to the machine, said guiding members including tongues adjacent the point where the fabric material is to be severed, the distance between said guiding members being less than the thickness of the scallop, whereby the scallop edge remains spaced from said circular cutting means.

3. An embroidery cutting machine for cutting scallops according to claim 1 wherein each roller means comprises a feed roller and a second roller cooperating therewith.

4. An embroidery cutting machine for cutting scallops according to claim 1 wherein each roller means com prises a feed roller and a pressure roller, the faces of said feed roller and said pressure roller having an intermeshing portion.

5. An embroidery cutting machine for cutting scallops according to claim 1 wherein the machine is provided with circular cutting means, the circumference of said circular cutting means being provided with teeth, and also being provided with a shearing plate adjacent the point where the fabric material enters the machine, which together with said circular cutting means will bring about a scissor-like cutting of the fabric material.

6. An embroidery cutting machine for cutting scallops according to claim 1 wherein the machine is provided with circular cutting means, the circumference of said circular cutting means being provided with a plurality of sharp-edged spaced notches.

7. An embroidery cutting machine according to claim 6, wherein the notches are arched.

8. An embroidery cutting machine according to claim 6, wherein the notches are triangular.

9. An embroidery cutting machine according to claim 6, wherein the wedge-angle of the notches is an acute angle.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 331,015 West Nov. 24, 1885 1,181,354 Stevens May 2, 1916 1,198,314 Baude Sept. 12, 1916 1,359,770 Tscherne Nov. 23, 1920 1,390,254 Tscherne Sept. 6, 1921 1,990,967 Wenzel Feb. 12, 1935 2,364,533 Jackson Dec. 5, 1944 2,531,841 Cashin Nov. 28, 1950 2,734,573 Bailey Feb. 14, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 293,989 Germany Sept. 7, 1916 

